Volga GAZ-21 VOPO

The GAZ-21 Volga was one of the first Soviet cars exported in large numbers. As in the USSR, it was widely used in government service throughout the socialist bloc, including East Germany.

It served successfully with East Germany's People's Police, the Volkspolizei or VOPO, from 1969 to 1976. A surviving service car is held in the police museum in Boister.

In the late 1950s, a second-series GAZ-21 could be freely purchased in West Germany for 7,950 German marks. Export third-series Volgas had their engines uprated to 85 hp through higher compression, since they could use better-quality petrol with a “European” octane rating of 80, equivalent to Soviet A-76.